yourself that the Seventh was already numerically stronger. Taking four troops of Brisbin’s cavalry would only serve to weaken Gibbon’s column.”
“All right, I’ll accede to your wishes on that,” Terry said. “Now, what about Gatling guns?”
Again, Custer shook his head. “The Gatling guns with caisson weigh over two thousand pounds. I think they would so greatly impede our progress as to take away the very advantage of rapid mobility you pointed out just a moment or two ago.”
“All right,” Terry said reluctantly. “It is just that we brought them this far, I hate not to see them used. But you know the situation better than I, so I’ll go along with you on that as well.”
“Do we have any idea of the strength of the Indians?” Gibbon asked.
“My estimate, from what both Reno and Gibbon have found, would be from eight hundred to a thousand,” Terry said.
Falcon cleared his throat, and Terry looked up at him. “You have something to add, Colonel MacCallister?”
“I think you are greatly underestimating the number of Indians you are going to face,” Falcon said.
“How do you know how many Indians are out there?” Brisbin asked.
“I was on a rather lengthy scout with Mr. Dorman,” Falcon said. “We encountered Indians in great numbers, and they all seemed to be moving toward one general gathering place.”
“Custer, given that, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider taking four troops from Brisbin’s cavalry?” Terry asked.
“No need, General,” Custer said, refusing the offer a second time. “As we have discussed here, our biggest problem will be in catching them before they discover us and scatter all across the plains.”
“Oh, I’m quite sure they have already discovered us,” Terry said.
“All the more reason we should move quickly,” Custer replied.
“All right, gentlemen, you can return to your commands and get ready. Custer, I’ll have written orders for you in the morning.”
“Very good, sir.”
Falcon left the stateroom when the others did, but Custer remained behind to have a few more words with Terry. Falcon stepped up to the rail and looked out over the bank at the soldiers who had come almost one thousand miles from Ft. Lincoln. Even the greenest and rawest recruits were now seasoned veterans of the march. How they would behave in battle was another question.
“Ah, Falcon, here you are,” Custer said, stepping out of the stateroom then. “Come, we must get ready.” Seeing Captain Marsh, Custer called to him.
“Captain Marsh, I’m disappointed that you didn’t bring my wife up with you. I would have enjoyed seeing her again.”
“She wanted to come, and to bring your houseguest with her,” Marsh replied. “But I thought it would be too dangerous. Though the Indians have never made a major attack against us, they have taken potshots at us from time to time.”
“Yes, I see what you mean,” Custer said. He nodded his head. “I’m sure you were correct in not bringing her.”
“I’ll tell you what, General,” Marsh said. “When the expedition is over and I return to Bismarck, I’ll send word to Mrs. Custer and if she would care to, I’ll bring her back with me when we meet you at your resupply point on the way back.”
“Wonderful!” Custer said. “I’ll be counting on that, Captain. And I thank you for it.”
At dinner that evening, the civilian reporter accompanying the expedition, Mark Kellogg, sought out Falcon.
“It has been an exciting journey, hasn’t it?” Kellogg asked.
“It has been interesting,” Falcon replied, choosing that word over “exciting.”
“I wonder, sir, if I could prevail upon you to read the latest dispatch I am sending with the next mail,” Kellogg asked.
“Why me?” Falcon replied.
“Because, like me, you are not a member of the Seventh. Therefore I feel that your appraisal of the article will be free of any tint of partisanship.”
“All right,” Falcon agreed. “If you think my opinion is worth anything.”
“Oh, I do, sir. I do indeed,” the young reporter said. He handed a tablet to Falcon.
“I know that it is a bit overembellished, but I want the readers to get the feel of it, to know what it is like to be with the army on the march. Here, you may use my folding chair as a place to sit while you read.”
“Thanks,” Falcon said, sitting on the proffered chair and turning his attention to the pages Kellogg handed him.
From June 12, the date of my last communication, until June 19, the only occurrences of
